Chanting or prayer as a form of ritual before and after the yoga practice?

One can perform some chanting or prayers before and after the yoga practice, or not, as one like. It is neither a compulsory action of respectfulness towards Gurus and the teachings of yoga nor a form of compulsory ritual before and after the yoga practice.

There's nothing wrong with people perform some chanting and prayers or rituals before and after the yoga practice, but one doesn't need to be a Hindu, or know any chanting or prayer or to perform any rituals at all to be practicing yoga, or to have peace and be compassionate. Yoga, or unconditional peace and love, is unlimited by any names and forms.

Inquire the truth of everything.

One doesn't need to perform any particular form of chanting and prayers or rituals to be free from ignorance and egoism, to be peaceful or to be compassionate.

If one thinks and believes that one must perform chanting or prayer as a compulsory ritual before and after the yoga practice, otherwise, one is being disrespectful towards the Gurus or the teachings of yoga, or there will be obstacles or problems during the yoga practice, then this is just one kind of limited worldly superstitious thinking and belief, it's not what yoga is about.

During an emergency life threatening situation, one just performs immediate action to save life. One doesn't need to perform chanting or prayer as a ritual before the action of saving life. If Gurus or God exist, they won't be offended. If there are Gurus or God would be offended when one doesn't perform chanting or prayer as a ritual before the action of saving life, these are not Gurus of yoga or God.

Be free from worldly superstitious thinking and belief, is part of the yoga practice.

Be determined and vigorous to free the mind from ignorance and egoism is the greatest form of respect towards all Gurus and the teachings of yoga. All the other names and forms are meaningless if one doesn't work on the annihilation of ignorance and egoism.

Be free.

Is yoga a religious practice?

This is a common question about yoga and yoga practice.

It's common that many people, including some of the yoga practitioners might relate yoga teachings and the yoga practice with Hinduism, as yoga has it roots in the land of India, where majority of the people embrace Hinduism.

Though yoga originated from a land that is rooted in Hinduism, not all Hindus practice yoga, and yoga practitioners don't have to be Hindus to practice yoga.

Many of those who have their own personal religious or cultural belief and they also practice yoga, there might be some elements of their own religious or cultural practice being mixed into their yoga practice. And it's okay. But, it doesn't mean that yoga is a religious or cultural practice.

Meanwhile, in many of those who practice Buddhism, there might be some elements of their own personal religious or spiritual belief and practice being mixed into their Buddhism practice. And it's okay. But, it doesn't mean that Buddhism is a religious or spiritual practice.

The essential teachings of yoga is not different from the teachings of Buddhism. The essential teachings of yoga and Buddhism are the law of impermanence, selflessness, non-dualism, oneness, non-separateness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. These teachings are neither religious nor spiritual.

Both the teachings of yoga and Buddhism is about transcending the egoistic mind and its modifications, to be free from ignorance and egoism, to know the truth of names and forms, to realize selflessness, and be liberated from impurities and suffering that derives from ignorance and egoism. It is beyond all the subjective intellectual thinking, worldly education, personal religious and cultural belief that exist in the mind and influencing the mind.

There's nothing wrong when some people refer yoga as a spiritual practice with some religious practice influences, and meanwhile, many people refer yoga (asana practice) as merely one type of physical exercise for health and fitness, as everyone is free to think and believe what they want to think and believe. But, yoga is neither spiritual nor non-spiritual, neither physical exercise nor non-physical exercise. It is beyond spirituality and physical exercise. It is freedom transcending all the qualities of names and forms. It is unconditioned and unlimited by names and forms consist of different worldly thinking and belief, religious and cultural practice, and personal interest or motivation.

Whether one is religious, or not; whether one has a particular religion belief, or not; whether one is spiritual, or not; whether one belongs to a particular religion or spiritual community, or not; whether one believes in God existence, or not; whether one thinks oneself is a good being or a bad being, everyone (all minds) can practice yoga and realize yoga.

One can take up yoga practice, whether partially or completely, appropriately or inappropriately, and one can also abandon yoga practice. It's one's freedom about what one wants to do with one's body and mind. There's no judgement or punishment. It's one's effort whether one will attain liberation via yoga practice, or not. There's no success or failure.

Om shanti.

Yoga as it is...

The means of Buddhism teachings and yoga teachings are not different from one another. It's about purification of the mind, control of the mind, self-awareness, self-control, self-discipline, purification of thoughts, actions and speech, non-blind-faith, non-follower, non-duality, non-separateness, wisdom, compassion, selflessness/ego-lessness/I-lessness, non-identification, non-attachment, desireless, namelessness, formlessness, self-inquiry and self-realization of the truth, and be free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, and all sorts of impurities, and transcend suffering.

Some people think yoga and Buddhism practice is a form of religious practice belongs to a particular religion and culture, as they often see some yoga and Buddhism practitioners perform some sorts of rituals here and there, where all these rituals are coming from a form of religious and cultural practice.

There's nothing wrong with some/most of the yoga practitioners perform rituals and religious ceremonies as part of the yoga practice, but yoga is undetermined by whether there is any rituals and religious ceremonies as part of our yoga practice, or not. As by performing rituals and religious ceremonies doesn't determine that one is practicing yoga, or not. And by not performing any rituals or religious ceremonies, it doesn't determine that one is not practicing yoga, and it doesn't stop one from practicing yoga.

Beyond all the influence of personal cultural practice or religious practice that was mixed into the yoga practice in different parts of the world, yoga is beyond all the cultural practice and religious beliefs and rituals. It's the same for Buddhism practice.

Yoga is right here, in this moment, when the mind is free from the influence of any qualities of names and forms, egoism, identification, attachment, conditioned thinking and beliefs, dualities, desires, longing, craving, speculation, anticipation, expectation, judgment, and impurities.

When the mind is free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, desires, intentions, expectations, qualities of names and forms, one doesn't need to perform any rituals with any intentions. Although one still can be performing rituals and religious ceremonies selflessly, without attachment, identification, intention or expectation.

Go beyond all the names and forms, and rest in silence.

Yoga, India, Indian, Hinduism?

Some good yogis think and feel that 'yoga' is being manipulated. They want to protect the lineage of ‘authentic yoga’. They insist that yoga belongs to India, or Indians, or Hinduism. I respect what they think and believe - according to history the practice of 'yoga' did start in India, and was rooted in Hinduism.

But even though the practice of yoga originated in India, it doesn’t mean that yoga belongs to India, or Indians, or Hindus. Yoga is for all humanity. It exists in the universe for all beings to transform the modification of the ignorant egoistic mind, to be liberated from ignorance and suffering.

Being in a place that is being possessed, claimed, and named as India, or being identified as an Indian, or being a Hindu, it doesn't guarantee peace and compassion or enlightenment in anyone. If it did, then every Indian, or Hindu, or anyone in India, would already know yoga and have attained self-realization, there wouldn’t be any ignorant beings, and suffering would not exist in India, or for all Indians, or for all Hindus.

If yoga belongs to 'India' and 'Hinduism', then no one else but only 'Indians' and 'Hindus' can be 'allowed' or 'qualified' or 'authorized' to realize yoga of selflessness, or compassion and unconditional peace, to be free from suffering, while all the others who are not Indian or Hindu will never realize yoga, or be compassionate and peaceful, or be free from suffering. But, yoga doesn't belong to anyone or anywhere with a particular quality of name and form. Just as Buddhism also started in a particular place on earth, but it doesn't belong to and isn't limited by that place or anyone. All and everyone are subject to the suffering of impermanence and selflessness, limitation and conditional, and non-self, and anyone also can realize the truth of selflessness, and be free from suffering upon liberation from ignorance. Just like, if 'God' exist, 'God' doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

Although we all live in different regions in the world, have different nationalities, or skin colour and features, or cultures, or languages, or beliefs, or spiritual and religious influences, all and everything exist being supported by the same source, as well as inter-supporting all and everything to be what they are.

How can we limit and condition yoga to a certain region, place, race, and religion when the basic teachings of yoga is oneness or non-separateness, as well as attributelessness, namelessness, and formlessness? What is the difference between this religion and that religion, or being religion-less? What is the difference between this nationality and that nationality on this tiny little earth compared to all the other planets in the universe? Even though we all have different beliefs, religions (or not), traits, characteristics, personalities, and appearances, we are all living beings sharing the same space in the universe that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, dependent on the elements of fire, wind, water, earth and space to exist. Beyond the different names and forms the nature of all and everything is the same. We are not different nor separated from one another. Discrimination of different qualities is non-existing in nature.

All and everyone and everything of all kinds of different qualities and names and forms, are subject to selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence, or ceaseless changes and maintenance, decay, disintegration, death, decomposition, or ceased existence.

Yoga exists in all beings regardless of where we are, who we are, what we are, or how we are. All are eligible for realizing yoga, depending on one's correct understanding, effort, perseverance and determination.

The teachings of yoga and Buddhism are all about selflessness, non-dualism, oneness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. Even though the many practices might be different from one another, the end of the practice is not different from each other. If this is not what yoga is - oneness or non-separateness, then I don't want to practice 'this yoga' or share 'this yoga' with other beings. Those who think 'yoga' belongs to them can keep their 'yoga' for themselves.
 
When the Buddha attained enlightenment, he never claimed that he founded Buddhism, neither the teachings and practice of Buddhism belong to any particular race, sect or caste, gender, nationality, or religion, or being. It (the dhamma/the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self) always existed in all beings regardless of the differences of names and forms, regardless of whether all beings and objects are separated by and subjected to time, space and causation, and whether we realize Dhamma, or not. The Dhamma, or the teachings of Buddhism, or the truth of names and forms, existed before Buddha realized the truth and became enlightened. Buddha didn't own the teachings of Buddhism or Dhamma. Dhamma doesn't belong to anyone or any place. Anyone and everyone, even the most ignorant beings, or the most evil beings in the universe, can realize Dhamma and attain enlightenment. It is within every being and beyond time, space and causation. There have been other beings in other regions of the world attained enlightenment before and after Buddha.

Even though the Buddha came from the place or region of India, attained enlightenment in India, and taught Buddhism in India, Dhamma didn't originate from India and wasn't limited only within India. Dhamma does not come from a geographical region or era - it is beyond time and space. Dhamma does not belong to anyone or anywhere.

 

Those who claimed yoga belongs to them, or to a particular place, region, race, or religion, they have no idea towards what yoga is. 

Om shanti.